Page 44 of The Auction
Something in me breaks.
“Fine,” I grit out, pulling my phone from my pocket. “We’re fucking doing this.”
I open the payment portal and hammer the numbers in, punching the screen like it insulted my mother. A second later, the phone dings.
“Paid. A billion-dollar contract.”
Cassidy plants her hands on her hips, unbothered and smug. “One billion, two hundred and thirty-three dollars and seventy-four cents… to be exact.”
Eve chokes on a laugh.
Lucian doesn’t smile. But his mouth twitches. Close enough that I want to fucking slap him.
I jab a finger at Cassidy. “Oh, you’re so fucking funny, aren’t you?”
“Sometimes,” she says sweetly. “When a maniac isn’t breathing down my back.”
My fists clench. My jaw aches.
“Does your brother know about this?”
Her smile doesn’t fade. If anything, it sharpens.
“What do you think?” she asks, voice silk and sin. “You wanna be the one to tell him?”
I stare at her, breath locked in my chest.
She takes a slow step closer, eyes burning into mine, daring me.
“Tell him you bought his little sister’s virginity?”
Eve lets out a low whistle. “Oh, this is getting juicier.”
“You’re not helping,” I mutter, dragging a hand through my hair.
Cassidy stands across from me, arms crossed, lips set in a hard line. She’s not backing down. She never does.
Goddamn her for being so fucking stubborn.
“Is it money? Is that what this was all about?”
Because if she needed it—really needed it—she could’ve just come to me. I’d give her anything. All she had to do was ask. But instead, she walked into this world, put herself on that stage, and gave every man in that room a chance to bid on what never should’ve been up for sale.
And still… she won’t tell me why.
She doesn’t owe me that. I know she doesn’t. But it doesn’t stop the anger from curling around my ribs like barbed wire.
“It’s my prerogative.” She answers plainly.
It’s always like this with us—two storm fronts waiting to see which one will break first.
So fine.
She wants to play by the rules? Then I’ll give her rules.
I bought the contract. I’ll honor it. Every single line. Every stipulation. Let’s see if she’s ready for what that actually means.
I take a step closer, lowering my voice. “You ready to give yourself to me, Cricket? Because that’s what this is now. No more hiding behind bravado. You signed the paper. And now you belong to me.”
